Our agency was notified today that as of August 1, 2010, Carnival will no longer allow travel agencies to discount Carnival cruises by refunding part of their commissions. Previously, Carnival would not allow any discounting in any advertised price, but allowed it in "one-to-one" communications between an individual agency and the client. Their new policy extends the discounting ban from advertised prices to the "one-to-one" as well. Carnival will still allow the agencies to give away ammenities, like OBC and onboard bon voyage gifts.

So as of August 1, the Carnival price will be uniform from all sources and travel agencies. No more shopping for the lower price from agency to agency.

if they can still give OBC...then the customer still gets a "perk" from the TA and the TA gets the commission on the FULL amount of the cruise...not the discounted amount....

__________________COMPLETES THE FLEET

If it is Carnival and it floats....we have sailed it!

Hubby ... DIAMOND (every ship except the Carnivale)
Me ... DIAMOND (every ship starting with the Tropicale)
20 year old son ... DIAMOND (every ship starting with the Tropicale...he is the only DOUBLE Milestone under the age of 21)
24 year old son ... DIAMOND

I got the news this morning from the owner of the agency I work for. I have to read it more thououghly to understand all of the options. It does level the playing field for us.

Laura

__________________
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.“
---Mark Twain

Interesting move, why, who knows, but it is probably some business reason.

I have NEVER...

Gotten a OBC from my TA--I have used a TA to book eight of my 10 cruises

Gotten a gift or thank you fruit basket for booking with that TA, even though I/we may have spent anywhere from $2000US to $3500US on the cruise. The only person to have sent me ANYTHING for going on a cruise is John Heald--a bottle of champagne and two water bottles last September when I was on the Splendor to celebrate my 40th birthday...I shelled out $3400US (very happily) for the spa suite and another $1000 for air and overnight hotel on the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Gotten a discounted fare from my TA.

I guess they want to make it fair and yes, it will probably alienate some TA's, but I find the PVP's just as easy and if you book ES fare and it goes down, it's easier to deal with a PVP to get the OBC or reduced rate....